Malique

Malique may shun the spotlight, but his impact on Malaysian hip-hop is more visible than ever. Marking a departure from his days in hip-hop duo Too Phat, debut solo album Ok instantly established Malique as the poet laureate of Malay rappers—and there were even calls for it to be recognised by the Institute of Language and Literature. Through his label Qarma Musiq, Malique has guided the direction of Malay hip-hop via new artists (Benzooloo, Ben Ladin), prioritising romantic language over hip-hop’s usual use of colloquialisms. Though physically absent, Malique’s presence is everywhere.